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I also agree that Christians wouldn't just convert and stay happy. It's sort of like what the christians did with Roman paganism and other pagans. It took some of their beliefs and merged it to help christianity. Just look at the holiday of Christmas.

Easter is even worse, they didn't bother changing the name or anything... just said "Yup, this is the resurrection... bunnies and eggs optional."

Originally Posted by mayorqw

Good that Txomin is trying to steer the young king way from senseless war... Although we pretty much know how that'll end

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

Prelude:
The intricate balance of the Caliphate was shuttered by the addition of the Taifa of Rum to the Peers. Duke Mohammad of Holstein was hoping to gain the crown of the Caliph, but what would have been a negotiable draw began a loss and he was forced to rethink his strategy. Turning his attention (as well as his anger) back to Sweden and Brandenburg, he hoped his conquests would not go unnoticed, and soon he'd be able to garner the votes he needed to ensure his ancestors would eventually take the throne of Europe and move it to Hamburg. Sweden, he thought, was the crown of his tiny Empire, and in many ways it was. Technically Sweden was outside the authority of the Caliph, conquered not by the Caliphate as a whole (as was the case with Brandenburg and Bohemia), but rather through the might of the Zähringer lands alone. The price to keep this land for themselves was Würzburg and the Franken lands. The Zähringers were willing to pay, and so they were able to keep Sweden out of the meddling of the Caliph. It was their land to rule as they saw fit and there was talk of moving the capital to Kalmar or Oslo and pushing for its own crown. But securing the region was a whole different problem.

January 8th, 1994

The public square of Sankt Nekolájs, Hungary was shut down. Ten thousand or so bodies squirmed and pushed their way into the square chanting and waving white-rose-black flags, many now with the number fifteen painted on either side. At the center of the crowd several speakers stood on top of an over-turned police car. They led the crowd in chanting "Cóká bráuláŝ cot! Briwibt Zliná!" Europe as a whole had been watching a simple protest at a university outside of Sankt Nekolájs turn into an all-out revolution. Zilina was part of Hungary, but 90% of people living there were ethnically Prussian and as many as 80% spoke Prussian as their first language. They wanted out of Hungary; they wanted their own independent nation. Forty people were already dead, according to the Hungarian news. But reporters from France and Germany put that number over a hundred. Fifteen of those dead were students who had protested in their university after Hungarian had been made mandatory for all classes. Students who refused were expelled. At a university where 99% of students spoke Prussian as their native tongue, there was a great number of people angered by this law. Fifteen students shot dead for refusing to go into classrooms and speak a language they were unfamiliar with.

The flag of Zilina was modified to include the number "15" representing the 15 innocent students who were shot and killed by police.

Prime Ministers Louis Gravois and his British counter-part Anthony Fuller sat nervously in a conference room in the European Union capital building in Luxembourg, Lothgaria. They were waiting for President Klaudijs Ludissun from Prussia. When the Prussian entered, he did so with his trademark smile and extended a friendly handshake before sitting down across from the two main men. Everyone had a concerned face as they watched Klaudijs get out his notes. Without losing his smile, Klaudijs read this concern and asked, "What is wrong? You look as if you are expecting me to announce an execution or something."

Prime Minister Louis looked at one of his generals and nodding to some unseen signal turned around again, "Klaudijs, we are worried about what is going on in Zilina, and it is obvious that Prussia probably has a vested interest in it as well..."

"You expect that we will occupy the region. You expect that it will only be a matter of days before Prussian tanks are in Pest," Klaudijs guessed.

"Well, Klaudijs," Prime Minister Anthony started, "Hungary isn't exactly stable right now. We are afraid that military action in the region might destabilize it enough to start a major war in the Balkans."

"The lack of stability is exactly why something needs to be done. There is nothing stopping this from becoming a massacre other than fears of a European intervention," Klaudijs said, he took off his reading glasses and put them on his papers, "We need to do something, Prussia worked with the European Union to ensure that the Silesian problem was quickly dealt with. However, where is the European sympathy now?"

"Klaudijs, there is a strong resentment in Europe in invading a part of a sovereign country with the mission to rescue a minority that exists only because a state in recent history thought it would help them control the region better," Anthony said, looking rather serious.

"The Zilina Prussians have been there for centuries. They are there for the failures of Prussia in the First World War, and then the demands of the West that Prussia not expand after the conclusion of the Second. You owe them this much. They are currently victims of a harsh and brutal government process of naturalization. Something that is clearly illegal under international law... laws written and supported mostly by the Fourteen Republics and the United Kingdoms."

"Klaudijs, don't you think this is a little extreme? Silesia was a completely different matter. There was one country when the war started and one when it ended. But you are talking about crushing an already crumbling state. And why do we hear nothing of the Hungarians in Erdély? O, because those are Hungarians under Prussians..."

Klaudijs scowled, "Because last I heard a hundred Hungarians weren't dead nor are all Hungarians in Erdély forced to speak Prussian. When that day comes, Prussia will be the first to support the rights of all people. I notice the German Prime Minister is not here. Does she have nothing to say about the Prussians in German Zilina? I hear that they have begun to join the rest of Prussians in Zilina in protesting for independence."

"Germany has just united, can we please let some stability return to this continent before we go and carve it up again?" Louis demanded.

"The East has some significant problems, Communists didn't exactly like the idea of states based on nationalities, so instead we have states like Serbia. How much longer do you think Serbia has? Croats, Albanians, Bosnians... they all want their slice of the pie, but Serbia refuses. How long are we going to let that fester?" Klaudijs asked. "I am not going to lie; at least three states are going to recognize the independence of Zilina by the end of next week. Prussia will be one of them. Carpathia and Silesia are obviously the next two."

The door opened and a young man walked in and took a seat across from Klaudijs, "Sorry to interrupt, but I have just been instructed to tell you Klaudijs has miscounted. Parliament just let out and the vote was nearly unanimous: Lothgaria will recognize Zilina as well."

"Thank you, Frederik," Klaudijs said, his smile returned to his face.

"Klaudijs, there are well over fifty different groups around the world asking for recognition and independence... we cannot grand independence to every single one of them!" Louis said. "France will not recognize Zilina, period. And you are right in thinking Germany will not either, Klaudijs."

"I dare ask then, Louis and Anthony, what makes the freedom of some so much more worth fighting for than the freedom of others? Why, for instance, do France and the United Kingdom so urgently stress the freedom of Kanem or Yunnan, but not that of Zilina or Quechia? Why does it seems you are happy to divide the lands of others, but not that of your allies?" Klaudijs picked up his glasses and put them away in a protective case which he then stored in his coat pocket. He smoothed out his rose-colored tie and stood up, without so much as excusing himself. Louis glanced over at Frederik who seemed not to take notice. "Louis, I'd expect this from the British, fearful of losing Ireland. But France? The safe harbor of all people, my home for so many years." Klaudijs left the room, his smile faded.

Anthony turned to Louis with a saddened face, "They always join thinking that they are some kind of equal partner."

"Anthony, we are not talking about some small former Communist state here, we are talking about an economic powerhouse and a state that could be a major contributor to any of the European cooperation ventures. Klaudijs will not soon forget this, and the Prussian people will linger on this betrayal for a long time," Frederik said. He lingered on the thought, "And you lost it over a tiny sliver of German territory. Dammit all."

"And what happens when the Prussians of Zilina get their independence? Soon the Slovenes will want theirs, Serbia will descend into chaos, Ireland rises up, the Danish... countless peoples are 'oppressed' here in Europe, and we cannot free them all!"

"Listen to yourself, Anthony! You sound like some street-corner Armageddon preacher! The Danish? Seriously? The last time there was a Danish uprising was in the 1700s! They were given a chance to vote for independence after the Second World War and they rejected it. Almost five to one!"

"Six to one," Louis said, quietly.

"Six to one!" Frederik repeated. "My point is that the Danish don't get shot for having the audacity of speaking their native tongue. This should have not been something dictated to us by the Germans. I strongly suggest you rethink your positions."

"I am not catering to the Prussians, I didn't do it in the eighties and I won't do it now," Anthony said.

"I get that you were appointed Prime Minister for your fiery speeches against the communists, but you have never served a day in the real life, what you did was stupid and Europe will suffer for it. Give it up; the Cold War is over... many of us just want to move on!" Frederik said.

"What do you know? Have you ever fought in the jungles of Africa? Stood on the line between good and evil?"

"Yes, military service was mandatory in Lothgaria: I stood on that very same line as you. But my question is this: since when were you a politician? Because my research says that you have always been nothing more than a soldier and one with a poor track record at that. Oratory is one thing. But this is real life. And this has consequences."

A strange silence fell over the room. Anthony closed his briefcase and stood up to leave. Halfway through the door Louis said, "I am sorry. But Frederik is right; I will argue for the French to support Zilina as well."

"Fine, but my position is clear. Enjoy your appeasement." Anthony left the room without so much as a good bye or waiting for the date of the next meeting.

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

Marvelous update. I love to see this entire world you've fleshed out, very much so in modern days!
I cannot say this enough, but I love this AAR.

Thanks, I'll try to let a bit more slip through. In fact, if there is a bit of consensus I might post another image or two of the Modern Day world map.

But more importantly: it is time for the First Round of the AARland Choice Awards (2011 edition)! And that means Bastions is up for its first award in the highly competitive Europa Universalis: Narrative category. So you guys should go vote for all of your favorite AARs here, even if you aren't planning on voting for Bastions.

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

I met my love by the gas works wall / Dreamed a dream by the old canal / Kissed a girl by the factory wallDirty old town / Dirty old townI'm going to make me a good sharp axe / Shiningsteeltempered in the fire / Will chop you down like an old dead treeDirty old town / Dirty old town

You're making it worse :'( To think that the first ever swedish king was a vassal of the great danish viking kings beating england and then to this! Alas, luck is not with Denmark in this timeline or the real one.